The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-16

AFTERNOON, his pastor, Rev. j. Coleman
Adams, officiating.
FOLLOWING the letter which we printed
last week from Mr.. r. s. OWEN, OF Bridge
port, Iowa, comes another in regard to
the International Lessons:
CouRTLAND, July Q, 1887.
To the Editor of The Unicersalist:
Rev. SrR: pray of you continue the Sun
day school Lessonsl They are so valuable to
families situated remote from the Univers-
alist church, and instructive to isolated fam
lilies. Those lessons have been and are
sources of coveted instruction and happiness
to me. Very respectfully,
Mrs. r. KERoHEvAL.
Our correspondent need not be alarmed.
While we remain grounded in our pres
emit conviction as to the usefulness of these
lessons to our general constituency, no
change will be made. They are printed to
meet the wants of just such cases as that
of our correspondent.
"BY the way" writes Br. J.W. Fisher.
Cheyenne, W. T., 81 have story to tell
you about DIR. Williamson's Exposition
OF Universalism. have purchased five
OF the books at different times and loan
ed them to orthodox people to read. 1
have the first one to be returned to me.
Whether the borrowers thought that they
should be destroyed as contraband litera-
ture, or whether there is something in
trinsically dishonest in orthodoxy, or
what is the reason for not returning the
books, I cannot tell; but the TACT is, never
got one OF them back and I do not wish
to be without copy of the book, I sin
cerely hope the reading of DIR. William
sons sermons may have given the bor-
rowers as much pleasure and profit as
they did me; if SO am we'll rewarded
and can afford to buy another one."
"THE question comes to us from num-
Der of different sources" remarks The
Unitarian, for July, Who is Rev. A. N.
Alcott, whose powerful pamphlet on The
Problem of Fellowship in Religion, is at
tracing so much attention?" We reply:
"He is pastor of the Unfversalist church in
Elgin, Ill. He was formerly pastor OF
the Unitarian church in Kalamazoo,
Mich, but went over to the Universalists
two or three years ago because of the
Free Religious tendency which he saw in
SO much of Western Unitarianism." Mr..
Alcott's pamphlet referred to above, is a
very able discussion OF the principles at is
sue in the Unitarian controversy in the
West. 1t traverses similar ground to
that of the series of articles published in
The UNIvERsALIsT, but is a new work.
Mr.. Alcott explains the situation among
Western Unitarians in the following
words: "Why if the terms God, Christ,
Christianity are 80 broad, sweep them
out OF bonds of union, to make room for
something broader? The answer, and the
only answer pertinent to the Western
controversy and issue is. To make room
for the ordination of atheists, agnostics,
materialists, non-theists, non Christians,
to the Unitarian ministry, and for Unita-
rian ministerial fellowship with theml
That is the real secret, and those who
blind their eyes to that, blind themselves
to the real ISSUE" Mr.. Alcott's PAM
phlet, containing thirty-eight pages of
closely printed matter, lis for sale at 10
cents copy. 1t can be ordered of the
author at Elgin, Ill, or copies procured
at this Office.